By Issei KatoPhotography by Issei KatoReporting by Eimi Yamamitsu, Tom Bateman and Issei KatoFiled March 30, 2023, 11 p. As Japan’s birthrate plunges faster than expected, school closures have picked up pace especially in rural areas like Ten-ei, a mountainous skiing and hotspring area in Fukushima prefecture, dealing a further blow to regions already struggling with depopulation. Aoi, who dreams of being a nursery school teacher in her hometown, will attend a different school from Eita starting in April